Front steels on corsets.



A. J. LEGOUTRE.

FRONT STEELS 0N GORSETS.

APPLICATION I'ILED FEB. 28, 1910.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE JEAN LECOUTRE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS. ASSIGNOR TO ROYAL WORCESTER CORSET COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

PRONT STEELS ON CORSETS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUoUs'rE J. Lecor'run, a citizen of the United States. residing at Worcester. in the county of \Vorccstcr and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Front Steels on Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the front steels on a corset, one of which has thereon headed studs, and the other elasps, by which the front steels are secured together, and my invention more particularly relates to the clasps, and the studs on the front steels.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the construction of the clasps, as ordiarily made and used on the front steels of orsets.

In the ordinary construction of the clasp, the clasp is made of thin sheet metal. of substantially uniform thickness throughout its length, and with an opening therethrough larger than the head of the stud, which is to be combined with the clasp, to receive the. head of the stud, and with a smaller opening leading out of the larger opening, to receive the shank of the stud, and secure the clasp and stud to each other. In this construction the stud has to be of sutlicient length on the steel, to allow of its headed end passing freely into the larger opening in the clasp, and then passing into the smaller opening, to have the head extend on the outside of the clasp. There will always be some play between the clasp and the headed end of the stud, and therefore there is an opportunity for the front steels to play one on the other, and not to be rig idly attached to each other, and the flesh of the wearer is liable to be pinched between the front edges of the two front steels.

In my improved construction of the clasps on the front steels, I make the end of the clasp, which has the smaller opening therein, and which engages the head of the stud, 1'

of greater thickness than the rest of the clasp, and preferably with a beveled or inclined surface between the thicker end of the clasp and the main body of the clasp, so that the head of the stud, after it is inserted through the larger opening in the clasp,will slide or move up readily onto the thicker end of the clasp. By this construction any play between the head of the stud and the end of the clasp is prevented, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28, 1810.

Patented Sept. 3, 191.2.

Serial No. 546,313.

the two front steels are firmly held and locked together, so that there will not be any appreciable movement of one steel on the other, after the corset is on the wearer and the two front steels are connected.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction of my improven'icnts, as will be hereinafter fully described.

Referring to-the drawing :-Figure l is a front view of a pair of steels at the front of a corset, detached, with clasps and studs thereon embodyingmy improvements. Fig. 2 shows, on an enlarged scale, the upper part of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section, on line 3, 3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of arrow a, same figure. Fig. 1 shows the clasp section shown in Fig. 2, and, Fig. 5 is a section on line 5, 5, Fig. 4, looking in the direction of arrow 6, same figure.

In the accompanying drawing, 1, 1 are the two front steels for a corset. which, when in use in a corset, are covered by the cloth or textile fabric of which the corset is made, on both sides and edges. leaving the upper part of the shank and the heads of the studs exposed on one steel. and the at taching end of the clasp on the other steel, in the usual and well known Way.

.2 are the studs on one front steel, as 1. ln this instance there are five studs which, at their inner ends. extend through an opening in the steel, and are riveted in said opening in the usual way. with their shank extending above the steel with its headed end to engage the outer surface of the end of the clasp, in the usual way.

3 are the clasps of my improved construction, in this instance five in number. Each clasp ll consists preferably of the flat portion 3*, of uniform thickness, which may be of the ordinary shape of clasps used on corsets. The part 3 is secured to one of the front steels, as 1, by rivets 4-, passing through holes in the clasp 3 and in the steel 1.. in the usual way. The clasp 3 has an opening 3 therethrough, a little larger than the heads of the studs 2, to freely receive said studs in the usual way. Leading out of the opening 3 is an opening 3 of less diam eter than the opening 3*, to receive the shank of the stud 2, and allow the head to extend over the edges of said opening 3*.

I will now describe my improved construction of the clasp.

The end 3 of the clasp, which engages 0 with the stud 2, to secure the two steels 1 and 1 together, is made thicker than the main portion of the clasp, in this instance by striking up,'or pressing out the metal, by means of dies,'or otherwise. The thickness of the end 3 is a little less than the length of the shank of the stud 2, between the head of the stud and the front face of the steel 1, as shown in Fig. 3. Intermediate the thicker end 3 of the clasp 3 and the flat portion 3, are the inclined or cam shaped surfaces 3 In connecting the studs 2 and the clasps 3, the heads of the studs 2 are passed through the openings 3 in the clasps 3, and then the front steels 1 and 1' are drawn apart, to cause the heads on the studs '2 to pass up on the inclined parts 3 of the clasps 3, and the shank of the studs 2 into the narrow opening 3 in the thicker end 3 of the clasp 3, with the head of the stud 2 extending over the sides of said opening 3, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

The outer surface of the thickened end of each of the clasps 3 is formed flat and smooth from the edges of the smaller portion of the opening outward to the rounded edge or outer wall of the said thickened part of the clasp, so as to present a smooth surface which will not be liable to catch or abrade the clothing of the wearer. The in ner surface of the thickened part of the clasp, at its edge or periphery if itbe struck or pressed out of thin metal and thus formed hollow, or throughout its inner face if it be formed solid, is on a line, or substantially so, with the inner surface of the thin portion of the clasp, so as to present a proper resistance to hold the fastened clasp tightly in place in engagement with its cooperating stud.

The advantages of my improvements will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. By making the clasps for the studs thickehat their engaging ends, and of substantially the same thickness as the length of the stud, between the covering on the corset. and the head of the stud, I prevent any play of the clasps on the studs, and I secure the two front steels rigidly together. Longer studs may be used, so that after the steelsare covered, the studs will readily en-' ter through the larger opening in the clasps, and pass into the narrower opening in the thicker end of the clasps.

It will be understood that the details of construction of my improvements may be varied if desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A corset steel provided with a series of clasps secured thereto, each of which consists ofala single ply or thickness of metal having an opening which is formed with a larger portion at one end, to receive the head of a stud, and a smaller portion at the other end to fit the shank or neck of the stud, the end of said clasp having the smaller portion of the opening being hollow and of greater thickness than the part of said clasp having the larger opening, the outer face of said clasp having inclines located at the sides of said opening and leading from the thinner to the thicker parts of said clasp; the outer surface of said clasp surrounding the smaller portion of said opening being'fiat and smooth from the edges of said smaller portion outward and then terminating in a rounded wall, and the inner face of said thickened portion bein substantially on a line with the inner ace of the thin part of the clasp.

AUGUSTE JEAN LECOUTRE.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN C. DEWEY, MINNA HAAs. 

